As Social Security turns 90 today some lawmakers are working toward preserving the program that has come under fire amid federal spending
cuts.
The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has cut jobs across the federal workforce, including thousands of social security workers.
While the Social Security Administration has said that no field offices have been permanently closed, fears remain that budget shortfalls could doom the program upon which millions of Americans rely.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer addressed a packed crowd at the Glens Falls Senior Center Thursday to talk about just that.
“320,000 people in the Capital Region and their families rely on social security, every month $550 million, that’s a lot of money, flows into the Capital Region and then you go to the stores, you go to the restaurants, you help pump up the economy. But, more importantly, you can live a decent life. No one is going to get rich on Social Security. But most people, at least, are not back to the bad old days when they couldn’t pay rent, they couldn’t afford food, and certainly they couldn’t afford medication,” said Schumer.
The Democrat is proposing “The Keeping Billionaires out of Social Security Act” to bolster the services provided by the SSA, hire more staff, modernize and upgrade technology, and protect beneficiaries’ data.
Schumer says Republicans, through’s DOGE’s actions and the passage of the sweeping tax and spending package in July, have tried indirectly to kill Social Security.
“Here’s what DOGE has done already. It’s cut 12% of all the Social Security workers. It’s cut 7,000 staff and there are more cuts coming if we don’t stop it. These are the people who answer the phone calls, who work in the local office, who help—everyone’s had a problem here or there. Cutting those staff is an attack on Social Security. Like I said they’re trying to strangle Social Security rather than just shoot it through the heart,” said Schumer.
Schumer’s new bill proposes investing $5 billion from savings generated through federal DOGE cuts into Social Security and reversing cuts made under the Trump administration.
The legislation would also impose civil and criminal penalties for improper access to Social Security records.
“You know DOGE and Musk want to get a hold of your data. They sell it. And then they sell it to people who are going to scam you. You know these scams? You get a call, they somehow learn your son and daughter-in-law are in South Carolina they say they just had a terrible auto accident, they’re in the hospital, you need to wire $2,000. And people do it because they’re so scared,” said Schumer.
Senators already in support of the legislation include Vermont Independent Bernie Sanders, Connecticut Democrat Richard Blumenthal, Massachusetts Democrat Elizabeth Warren, and New York Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand.
Republicans, like New York Congressman Mike Lawler, reject the notion that they want to cut Social Security. He issued a statement Thursday saying he will keep working to ensure the program “remains strong, accessible, and reliable, keeping our promise to those who need it most.”
SSA cuts have already made some local impact, the Schenectady Social Security office lost nine workers -- roughly a third of its staff.
Richard Bonet, who attended Schumer’s visit Thursday, lost his vision in 2020. He says further cuts to Social Security could be catastrophic.
“Oh it would impact me very much. How am I going to eat? How am I going to survive? I have a disability and I’m blind and I can’t fend for myself. With all those cuts it would hurt me devastatingly,” said Bonet.
